It has been said that "The greatest battles of life are fought within the silent chambers of the soul." Peace, happiness and success, the things we cherish most, are the result of what goes on inside our minds. "You are today where your thoughts have brought you and you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you." (James Allen)  Some people live in turmoil with a sense of shame and guilt because they do not know how to manage their minds. They think it is wrong for an impure or unclean thought to pass through their brain. We are not responsible for every thought that enters our minds but we are responsible for what we do with them. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, "Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ".

So where do thoughts come from? Some thoughts and ideas come from God, others come from worldly influence, others from associations and some are produced through fleshly desires that we see and hear that stimulate our thinking. Wrongdoing is more than a temptation or an invitation to do wrong. Transgression occurs when we fail to stand firm against wrong thoughts and allow them to influence our behavior. If we play with temptation instead of meeting it with a determined resistance, we will eventually succumb to it. Adam and Eve, the first people who failed God, did so because they entertained thoughts that the devil... introduced into their thinking. "Human beings can alter their lives [for better or worse] by altering their attitudes of mind." (James Allen).

Thoughts not put into action die-unborn. The Bible says in James1:15, "These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death". (NLT) Our deeds that harm us are birthed when we accept,  instead of rejecting ideas that result in wrongdoing. "Associate reverently, as much as you can, with your loftiest thoughts." (Henry David Thoreau) Wrong desires that come to us through our eyes, thoughts, and the flesh, are enemies we must conquer. Victory over them begins when we reject and ignore the wrong desires. Sort out the bad and let the good pass through.  "And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."Philippians 4:8 (New Living Translation)

"Common sense is instinct, and enough of it is genius." (Josh Billings)